


a bouquet of white and green carnations

by SoloChaos



Category: Bandom, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Anxiety Attacks, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Language of Flowers, M/M, Maladaptive superpowers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plants, Superheroes, Supervillains, Vigilantism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-02
Updated: 2014-12-01
Packaged: 2018-02-23 21:13:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2555921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoloChaos/pseuds/SoloChaos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So this is a "I'm going to add a new chapter whenever I feel like it" fic. It's all planned out, though. I know where I'm going, for once. </p><p>The title is my own, but the chapter titles are from "Flowers" by Grouplove.</p>
        </blockquote>





	1. only empty skies

For the most part, Tyler enjoys his gift.

He enjoys watching flowers bloom before his eyes. He enjoys seeing dead grass come to life as he walks through it. He enjoys living in his jungle of an apartment.

Sometimes, though, he wishes he could kiss Josh without worrying about roses bursting through the cracks in the ceiling.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a "I'm going to add a new chapter whenever I feel like it" fic. It's all planned out, though. I know where I'm going, for once. 
> 
> The title is my own, but the chapter titles are from "Flowers" by Grouplove.


	2. everything that passed me by

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: the main character has an anxiety attack. I'm actually anxious as fuck right now so that's probably why it's there. it's fortunate that it actually works with the plot.

Tyler hasn't let Josh into his apartment for what he considers to be a fairly good reason.

His apartment is a jungle. There are plants living everywhere, and not one of them in a flowerpot. There's ivy clinging to the walls, dahlias coming up from between the floorboards, and anemones poking through the cracks on the ceiling. There are heather plants creeping out from under his mattress and morning glories intertwined with his table legs. Grapevines have wrapped themselves around the ceiling fans, and yellow chrysanthemums have wormed their way through the cracks in the walls. Forget-me-nots are coming up though the tile on the shower floor. Sunflowers have recently bloomed next to his bed, loud and obnoxious, taking over the narcissi that were there before.

He wants to tell Josh, wants to show him his apartment, wants them to be able to spend time there. He wants Josh to know that he's gifted. He wants to show off.

But gifted people aren't common. They aren't generally well-liked by most of the population, either. He knows that Josh isn't the type to be judgmental, but he likes Josh. He _really_ likes Josh, and he doesn't want scare him off.

Tyler _really_ likes Josh.

They sort of got off on the wrong foot when Josh brought him a bouquet of white and green carnations on their first date, and Tyler had a small anxiety attack before explaining that cut flowers make him very uncomfortable. He was worried that he had scared Josh off with his neuroticism, but Josh just apologized profusely and offered to go take them away so Tyler couldn't see them. Tyler refused, knowing he could keep them alive. It would be a bit of a hazard, but he'd be able to do it.

They went out to watch a movie. Josh offered to take them out for dinner, but Tyler refused. His diet was probably a little too much to force on Josh onto their first date.

They've had three dates, just three dates, but Tyler knows he loves him. _Loves_ him. It may be kind of early to say that, but Tyler knows it.

"So I still don't know what you do for a living," Josh comments.

They're on their fourth date, and they're walking through the park. Tyler's enjoying the sunshine on his skin. Somewhat surprisingly, going outside isn't something he does very often. Most of the time, he doesn't even leave his apartment. He has nearly everything he needs there, and what he doesn't have, he can order online. The only reason he met Josh, actually, was because he persuaded the closest Guitar Center to send someone out to deliver him new ukulele strings. They sent Josh.

Tyler shrugs. "Well, you haven't told me what _you_ do, either," he says, elbowing Josh playfully.

"I work at the Guitar Center, silly," Josh says. "I delivered your uke strings."

"Maybe it's an elaborate front," Tyler suggests. "You're actually a spy who tapped the lines and delivered the strings in order to maintain the pretense."

Josh laughs. "And for what purpose?"

"To meet me," Tyler answers promptly. Josh chuckles. "You got me. It was all part of an elaborate plan for me to date you."

"That's what I thought," Tyler says with a nod and a grin.

 

On their fifth date, while they're walking the streets of the city they live in, Josh says suddenly, "I _still_ don't know what you do."

Tyler shrugs. "Is it important?"

Josh blinks. "Well, I guess not," he begins.

He's obviously about to say more, but Tyler cuts him off with, "Good."

They walk in silence for a while. Josh is blatantly confused, and a little hurt.

"I'm sorry," Tyler finally says. "I... I just-"

"It's fine," Josh interrupts. "You obviously don't want to talk about it, so I won't push." He looks genuine, and Tyler nods.

"Thank you," he says quietly.

"Of course," Josh says.

 

"Do you practice Jainism?" Josh asks once Tyler's finished explaining his complicated diet.

Tyler shrugs. "Only in the aspect of food, I guess," he says. "I just don't want to hurt anything."

Josh smiles at him.

"What?" Tyler asks warily, bracing himself for mocking.

"That's kind of adorable," Josh tells him, and Tyler blinks in surprise.

"Oh," he says. "Um. Thanks."

"So," Josh says, clapping his hands together, "do you like quesadillas?"

Tyler blinks. "Quesadillas?"

"You know, it's like grilled cheese but with tortillas-"

"Yes, yes I know," Tyler interrupts. "I don't think I've ever had them before, though. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you said you eat cheese and corn," Josh says. "I could make us quesadillas with cheese and corn tortillas. And guacamole," he says, looking excited. "You can eat avocados, right? They grow on trees."

Tyler smiles at Josh's enthusiasm. "Okay. Quesadillas."

 

For their next date, Josh kicks his roommate out and prepares them quesadillas with guacamole. Tyler brings along a pot of red tulips for Josh.

"Thank you," Josh says, holding up the flowerpot, "but I can't keep a plant alive for my life. Maybe you'd be better off with it."

"Well, you see," Tyler says, suddenly feeling a little shy, "then I'll have to come over a lot more. Because I am excellent with plants."

Josh grins at him and sets the tulip plant on the windowsill. "Sounds like a plan, then."

Josh has approximately three hundred cats. It's actually alarming.

"I suppose you really like cats, then," Tyler says, giving up on picking cat hair off his pants.

"You could say that," Josh says, watching Tyler with vague amusement while taking a bite of his quesadilla.

"They're really good," Tyler tells his boyfriend after swallowing a bite of his own quesadilla.

"I'm glad you like them," Josh says, smiling at him.

Josh is so sweet, and Tyler is so comfortable, and he ends up blurting out, "I'm on disability insurance."

Josh blinks. "...okay?"

"Frick, I..." Tyler pauses, running a hand through his hair. "You wanted to know what I do. For a living. I... I don't do anything. I sit at home and collect my disability check."

"...okay," Josh says, looking confused.

"I ruined the mood, I'm so sorry," Tyler says, cursing his social awkwardness. Not for the first time.

Frick. He messed up their date. Josh was being so kind to him and they've gone on more dates than Tyler has had before put together, and they've kissed, and Tyler loves him, and Josh made this awesome meal for them, and now Josh is going to break up with him because Tyler is so _awkward_ and ruined the mood completely and Josh is going to see him for who he is, a helpless little man who can't even make his own money, a man who has to rely on the check that comes every month, a man who barely leaves his own apartment because he prefers to be surrounded by _plants,_ a man who is about to be dumped by the kindest person he's ever met because he was an idiot who blurted out that he's a helpless little man who can't even make his own money, a man who has to rely on the check that comes every-

"No, no, it's okay," Josh says, touching Tyler's arm carefully. Tyler realizes, belatedly, that he's started to hyperventilate.

Tyler stands up, feeling overwhelmed. He has to grow something, has to let part of him go, but he's not in his own apartment right now, he's at someone else's, which was _such_ a bad idea he should've _known_ something like this would happen because it's _just his luck._ He concentrates, trying to force that part of him down, but he's _so overwhelmed,_ he wants to _scream..._

And then he remembers the pot of tulips sitting on Josh's windowsill, and breathing a sigh of relief, he lets an anemone flower plant spring up next to the tulips. Josh doesn't really seem like the type who'd notice, anyways.

Tyler opens his eyes to discover that he's on the floor, Josh kneeling in front of him.

"Hi," Tyler says belatedly, voice hoarse.

"Hi," Josh echoes, looking concerned. "All right, now?"

"Yeah," Tyler says, feeling shaky. "I... I'm sorry you had to see that."

"No, it's okay, really," Josh assures him. "Really." After a pause, he leans in and kisses Tyler's forehead. "It's okay. All of it's okay."


	3. don't know where they lie

They've been dating for three months when Josh broaches the subject of them moving in together.

"I realize that this is _extremely_ fast," Josh says, "but my roommate's moving out, and I thought it would just be a good opportunity."

Tyler smiles at him. "I'm glad you thought of me."

"Well, actually..." Josh says jokingly, and Tyler punches his boyfriend's arm playfully.

"I get a good amount of money from the government to spend on food," Tyler says after a moment. "But I grow nearly all my own food. So I can pay rent with that."

Josh blinks. "Wouldn't it be easier if you just sold your own apartment?"

Tyler shrugs. "I like my apartment," he says quietly. "I just won't live there. I'll be living with you."

"Living with you," Josh echoes with a grin. "I like the sound of that."

 

"You're moving into this awfully fast," Tyler's mother comments. "It's only been three months."

"I love him, Mom," Tyler says easily.

"Have you told him yet? About your gift?"

Tyler pauses. "...no."

His mother sighs. "Remember when you were little, and when you'd sleep, flowers would grow everywhere?"

"Yeah."

"What if that happens again?"

"Then I won't sleep," Tyler jokes.

"That's not funny, Tyler," his mom tells him, sounding weary.

Tyler sighs. "I'm twenty-five, Mom. I was four then. I _can_ control myself."

They're both silent for a moment.

"I do wish you'd visit more," she says. "I worry about you, you know."

Tyler sighs. "Yeah, I know."

 

Tyler knocks on the door.

"It's your apartment now, too," Josh says, smiling as he opens the door. "You don't have to knock."

Tyler shrugs as he steps inside. "Habit, I guess." He looks around. It's barer than the last time he was there, which is expected, since Dustin moved out completely a couple days ago. He shifts the flax plant that he brought to his other arm.

"Our bedroom's that way, if you want to set some stuff down there," Josh says, pointing.

 _Our_ bedroom. Not _your_ bedroom, or _my_ bedroom. _Our_ bedroom.

"Do you want me to go bring up your other stuff?" Josh offers.

Tyler nods. "Thank you."

Josh walks out of the apartment, and Tyler makes his way to the bedroom. _Their_ bedroom. It wouldn't be this big of a deal if they'd slept together before. But they haven't. And Tyler has no idea if this means that they're going start now, if sharing a bed means that they've crossed the border into sexual intimacy.

Tyler is pretty sure that he wants to have sex with Josh. Pretty sure.

He's just not sure if he's ready to have it anytime soon.

He sets his suitcase of clothes next to the dresser before taking a look around. It's a pretty modest room; pale blue walls and dark brown furniture. The bed has a dark blue comforter on it, and it's next to a window. Tyler stares at the bed.

It looks impossibly daunting.

"Okay," he says, breathing out as he sets the flax plant on the windowsill in the bedroom. "Okay."

"You certainly aren't lacking in the flowerpot department."

Tyler jumps, startled by Josh's voice.

"Oh, did I scare you?" Josh asks as Tyler turns around to face his boyfriend. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," Tyler says, taking one of the boxes from Josh. "I wasn't paying attention."

Josh nods. "Where do you want me to put your..." he looks into the box, "soil?"

"Wherever I should put the flowerpots," Tyler tells him.

Josh frowns, looking around. "Do you want Dustin's old room?" he offers. "For your plants?"

"Like a plant room?"

Josh grins at him. "Like a plant room."

Tyler smiles back. "You weren't going to use that room for anything else?"

"I was considering making it a TV room, but it wasn't a serious plan," Josh tells him. "There are a lot of windows, too. Not so good for TV, but awesome for plants."

Tyler grins at his boyfriend and kisses his cheek. He was worried that he'd feel lonely a lot, considering Josh works most of the week, but a roomful of plants should counteract the loneliness.

 

The plant room is coming along nicely. Tyler brought in a sofa from his own apartment, along with a couple of tables. He's growing mostly flowers, but he has a couple of tomato plants and a blueberry bush. He goes back to his own apartment about once a week to collect other fruits and vegetables.

He misses being able to just let his plants grow wildly, but it's not too big of a change. All he has to do is make sure they grow from pots.

He keeps the white and green carnations Josh brought him in the plant room, too. Josh hardly ever comes into the plant room, and it would be hard for Tyler to explain why the flowers Josh gave three months ago haven't wilted one bit. Josh isn't exactly the most observant person he's ever met, but he thinks that Josh might notice that.

 

They're kissing on Josh's bed- their bed- one night when Josh slides one hand up Tyler's shirt.

It probably shouldn't be that big of a deal, but it's the most sexual thing they've ever done. Tyler really isn't sure how to feel about it.

It might be different if they were somewhere else. But they're on a _bed,_ and Tyler isn't sure if Josh is just touching, or if he's trying to initiate something.

Tyler doesn't know if he wants Josh to be trying to initiate something. He's pretty sure he doesn't. He pretty sure he's not ready.

Josh rolls them over so he's on top of Tyler. He has a knee between Tyler's legs, and Tyler's starting to feel very exposed.

"No," he says, pulling away from Josh's lips.

Josh sits back. "What's wrong?"

Tyler sits up, wriggling back so he can press his legs back together.

"I'm not- not ready," he mumbles. "S- sorry." He's starting to breathe a little too quickly because did he mess this up? Is Josh going to break up with him? Why did he-

"No, it's okay," Josh assures him, kissing his forehead. "It's okay. Calm down."

Tyler takes a few deep breaths. "Okay."

"Hey," Josh says, and Tyler looks up at him. "I love you."

"I love you too," Tyler murmurs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like comments.


	4. find yourself some road

"I just want to let you know, Tyler," Josh begins as he sets the tortillas on the table, "that my parents are a little... odd."

Tyler looks up at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Josh says carefully, bringing the tofu substitute for taco meat to the table, "they're scientists."

"So?"

"Like..." Josh scratches the back of his neck. "Like... well, they're eccentric."

Tyler blinks. "Like mad scientists?"

Josh snorts. "That's kind of a strong expression, but sure. Like mad scientists."

"So, would it be a good idea to give your mom a pot of zinnias, or no?" Tyler asks, holding up a flowerpot.

"I think my dad would like the zinnias more, actually," Josh says. "They're both geneticists, but he prefers working with plants to animals. My mom likes animals more."

"Will he mutate it?" Tyler asks somewhat anxiously, holding the zinnias tight to his chest.

Josh smiles at him, shaking his head. "I doubt it. And I can tell him not to mess with it anyways, if that helps any."

Tyler nods, setting the pot back down.

They're having Josh's parents over for dinner. Josh made tacos, complete with tofurkey, guacamole, cheese, and salsa. The salsa probably tastes a little funny, considering there are no onions or garlic, but Josh assured him that it's fine.

Josh is pulling some cloth napkins out of the cupboard when he suddenly straightens up, cocking his head. "Oh, they're here," he says, handing the napkins to Tyler before going to open the door.

Tyler frowns. He didn't hear anything.

He shrugs it off, though. He's never had the best ears.

"Ashley!" Josh says, giving the first person through the door a hug.

"Hey, Joshie," she says brightly. "Is this Tyler?" she asks, pointing.

"Yup," Josh says, turning his attention to another red haired girl coming through the door.

"I'm Ashley," the first girl says, making her way over to Tyler and holding out a hand.

Tyler shakes it. "I didn't realize Josh's sisters would be coming over, too," he says. He looks over at the table. "Although now that I think about it, he's set the table for six people."

Ashley laughs. "Yeah. My sister and my brother, actually."

Tyler nods. "Do you like flowers?"

Ashley blinks. "Sorry?"

"I was going to give your dad flowers," Tyler explains, gesturing to the pot of zinnias. "I didn't know you'd be coming."

"Well, yes, I like flowers, but you don't need to get me anything-"

"No, don't worry," Tyler reassures her. "I have a lot of flowers."

"He does have a lot of flowers," Josh agrees, closing the door.

"Really," Tyler says with a nod. "Do you have a favorite flower? What about you?" He turns to the other girl. "Or you," he adds belatedly, looking over at the boy who he assumes to be Josh's brother.

Josh's brother snorts, shaking his head. "I'm all right, thanks."

"I like hyacinths," the younger-looking sister pipes up.

Tyler smiles, nodding at her. "And you?" he asks Ashley.

She shrugs. "I like poppies, I suppose."

Tyler nods. "Be right back."

Closing the door to his plant room behind him carefully, he then pulls out two pots and fills them with soil. He dampens them before closing his eyes and lets a red hyacinth plant pop up in one pot. He opens his eyes, smiling at its beauty. He closes his eyes again, this time letting a yellow poppy plant spring up in the other pot.

Tyler picks up both pots carefully before opening the door and carrying the plants out.

"Oh, you have both," the younger sister says in surprise, taking the pot with the hyacinth in it from Tyler. "Thank you."

"No problem," Tyler says with a smile, handing the pot with the poppies to Ashley.

 

Dinner is going well, Tyler thinks. Josh's parents haven't really said much.

"So, Tyler, what do you do?" Ashley asks as she helps herself to more guacamole.

Tyler pauses. "Um."

"He's between jobs right now," Josh says easily.

Ashley blinks. "Oh."

"I was a botanist, actually," Tyler says quietly, and Josh pauses, looking over at Tyler.

"I didn't know that," he comments. "Although I don't know why I'm surprised."

Tyler smiles at that. "Yeah," he says. "I was, um, researching plant development."

"That's cool," Abbie, Josh's other sister, says. "Why did you leave?"

Tyler blinks. "Um. Personal reasons."

Everyone looks at him after that, and Tyler feels himself shrinking in on himself.

Josh clears his throat, clapping his hands together. "So, Mom, what have you been up to lately?"

"My team and I created a new species of rat today," she says, taking a bite of her taco.

Tyler blinks, but this news barely seems to faze everyone else.

"Kind of a step down, huh?" Jordan, Josh's brother, comments. "You once created a whole new species of-"

He's suddenly cut off, and Tyler frowns when he realizes that Josh kicked him. The two brothers glare at each other for a moment before looking away.

"That was a marvelous achievement," Dr. Dun agrees, completely oblivious to the little spat between her two sons.

Josh lets out a small huff, taking a rather aggressive bite out of his taco. Tyler gives him a curious look, but Josh just shakes his head.

"Fucking bastards!" the other Dr. Dun shouts suddenly. Tyler jumps.

"What's wrong, Dad?" Abbie asks.

"Malxi is now dumping their factory waste into the Hemmington River," Dr. Dun says, throwing his phone, which Tyler didn't even notice he had, to the floor. Tyler jumps again, but the Duns don't even flinch.

"Malxi?" Tyler asks timidly.

"Bad company," Josh's father says, finally taking a vicious bite of his previously untouched taco. "Bad, bad, _bad_ company."

"They're notorious for contributing to mistreatment of the environment," Josh explains.

"All the plants along the river are going to die," Dr. Dun says angrily, and Tyler freezes.

"They are?" Tyler asks.

Dr. Dun nods. "And if they get away with this," he says, "then they're going to start doing that with their factories. They have factories all over the world. Plants all around the globe will die."

Tyler stares at his taco with wide eyes. He's starting to get an idea.

 

"Your parents weren't that odd," Tyler comments once Josh finally closes the door.

Josh shrugs. "Well, you haven't lived with them."

"True," Tyler concedes.

"Where do your parents live? I just realized that I've never asked," Josh says.

"They live out in the country," Tyler says.

"Did you grow up there?" Josh asks.

"Yup," Tyler says with a nod.

"Why'd you move out here?" Josh asks curiously, taking some of the plates back into the kitchen.

Tyler shrugs as he grabs a couple plates himself. "I went to college here, and I never moved back." That's the truth, but he's omitting so much that he may as well be lying. "How about you? Have you always lived here?"

"Yup. Born and raised," Josh says. He takes the plates from Tyler before turning the sink water on.

"Hey," Tyler says, and Josh turns to face him. "Thanks for preparing that dinner. You didn't have to do that."

Josh smiles, leaning in for a kiss. "Of course," he says. "You're my boyfriend. If you being my boyfriend consists of making a dinner that you can eat, then that's okay."

Tyler kisses him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still like comments. I like feedback. They make me want to write more.


	5. might as well

It's 1:32 AM when Tyler crawls out of Josh's arms and throws on a pair of dark sweatpants and a black hoodie. At second thought, he puts on a black ski mask and gloves.

He opens one of the windows in the plant room before taking a deep breath. He hasn't done this since he was a kid.

He jumps.

Doing his best not to scream, Tyler closes his eyes and concentrates. He holds out his arm, and a vine wraps itself around it. He holds on as he carefully lowers himself to the ground. He smooths his mask over his face before flicking his hand up, letting the vine... ungrow? He doesn't really have a word for it.

Tyler checks his phone again for the map before reaching up again. Another vine comes, and he climbs up before swinging himself until he can catch another vine. He's not even sure where these vines are growing from. He knows it's not natural. He knows that what he's doing isn't safe, either. He hasn't done this since he was around twelve, and he was swinging from fairly small trees then, not skyscrapers.

He feels kind of like Spider-Man. He briefly contemplates picking up some spandex somewhere, and has to cover his mouth so he doesn't burst out laughing.

Tyler finally arrives at the city's Malxi factory. He circles around the building for a while before figuring out where the pump is. There's a security guard roaming around, and he waits until he's at the other side of the building before slipping over the fence.

The pump system is surprisingly straightforward. He looked at a few different diagrams online, and this one doesn't look too different. He sends a couple vines down, and they wrap themselves around the main part of the pump. He watches as the vines pull it away. It happens with some difficulty, but at last, it's gone.

Tyler sets to work dismantling the pump completely as quickly as he can. Occasionally he lifts himself up with the help of a vine to check on the security guard. The guy is slow. It's obvious that what happened to the pump was not an accident by the time Tyler's down with it. He feels a stab of pity for the guard since the guy is certain to be fired, but it vanishes when he remembers that the guy chose to work for Malxi.

Tyler barely makes it out before the guard catches him.

It's 4:56 AM when Tyler crawls back onto their bed and into Josh's arms. A delphinium plant blossoms in the pot on his bedside table.

 

Tyler wakes up to someone pressing soft kisses into his shoulder blades.

"Mm," he says, rolling over to see a sleep-soft Josh smiling at him. "Hi."

"Hello," Josh says, and Tyler kisses him. They kiss languidly for a while before Josh finally pulls back.

"All right," he says, jumping out of bed. "Up and at 'em."

Tyler groans. "But it's Saturday," he whines. "Let's just spend the whole day in bed."

Josh stretches before walking over to the window and pulling back the curtains. Tyler lets out a yelp of indignation when light hits his eyes.

"It's such a nice day out," Josh says, tossing Tyler a shirt. "Come on. Let's go to the park."

Tyler groans again, but puts the shirt on because he's a nice, agreeable boyfriend.

And he's going to make Josh buy him that organic ice cream on the way back.

 

Once they get to the park, Josh immediately flops down on the grass, spreading out in the sun. Tyler can hear the happy humming noise he makes, and smiles as he lies down next to him.

"You're so cute," he says as he rests his head on Josh's chest.

Josh smiles, still humming. He yawns, stretching. "You're cuter," he says sleepily.

Tyler closes his eyes, feeling the vibrations from Josh's humming. He concentrates on the grass around them, connecting himself to them. He feels himself soak in the sunshine, feels himself feed on it, and before he knows it, he's drifting off to sleep too.

 

Tyler wakes up with his face smushed into Josh's chest. Their limbs are tangled in each other's, and Tyler sighs contentedly, ignoring aster plant that just sprung up by his head. Josh makes a sleepy noise, burying his head into Tyler's hair.

Tyler does his best to ignore the flowers blooming all around him, but at the twelfth aster plant, he finally extricates himself carefully from Josh's arms. He carefully picks each aster, being sure to press life into each one.

Tyler looks down at his sleeping boyfriend, and has an idea.

 

"What?" Josh says as he sits up and sees Tyler trying not to laugh at him and failing. Still snickering, Tyler shows him a picture of the new lockscreen on Tyler's phone.

"What?" Josh repeats, grabbing his head. He feels the flower crown. "You did not." Giggling still, Tyler nods. Josh tackles him.

They're soon caught up in a little wrestling match, both of them fighting to pin the other. They're both laughing when Josh finally pins Tyler to the grass.

"Say I look fabulous," Josh says, pretending to flip his hair back. Amazingly, the flower crown is still on his head.

"Never!" Tyler cries.

"Say it," Josh says, crown of purple asters looking precariously angled on his head. "Say that I look fabulous."

"Never!" Tyler repeats.

Josh mock-frowns. "Say it," he commands. "I'm the prettiest princess you've ever met."

Tyler shakes his head, and with a mock-exasperated sigh, Josh moves his hands down and tickles him.

Squealing, Tyler relents, shouting out, "You look fabulous!"

"I knew it," Josh crows triumphantly, rolling onto his back and pulling Tyler up on top of him. They kiss for a while, Tyler's fingers in Josh's hair and Josh's hands on Tyler's ribcage. The crown finally falls off Josh's head, but that's okay. They're both too distracted by each other's lips to really care.

 

"I thought you didn't like cut flowers," Josh comments as he puts the crown on Tyler's head.

Shoot. Um. "They're fake flowers," Tyler decides.

Josh raises his eyebrows. "They felt pretty real," he says, touching the flowers. "That's pretty cool."

"Science, huh?" Tyler says, taking Josh's hand. "Come on, let's go get ice cream."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is all fluff really it'll get actually interesting hopefully next chapter?


	6. the skies are only empty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't figure out if this sucks or not. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Tyler slides in through the open window, thankful for the fact that he's slim. He dashes over to the desk and begins rummaging through the files in the drawers. He finds one labelled "Project Tellus". Curious, he opens the file.

He nearly drops it. _Malxi is planning to release their emissions into the air._

For some legal reason that Tyler doesn't quite understand, Malxi has managed to evade persecution by the government for dumping chemicals into the water. He knows that they've started with their factories in other parts of the world, but air emissions?

He scans the pages and gasps when he sees the acidity content. These emissions will lead to acid rain. Acid rain leads to plant death.

Tyler pulls out his phone and takes pictures of the different pages. He puts the file back before slipping back out the window.

 

The news of Tyler's vandalism of the Malxi factory hasn't yet reached the media. He's been keeping tabs on it closely, and nothing yet has surfaced.

He knows that the company is not pleased, though. He's been sneaking in ever so often, overhearing snippets of angry conversations and phone calls.

He's put away all worries of his... vigilantism? is that the right word? right now, though, in favor of spending his time with Josh. They're taking a walk through the park, which is something Tyler usually enjoys, but today must be the day gardeners work. There are people in hats running around, trimming hedges and cutting grass.

Tyler hates this. He can't connect himself to any of the plants now without excruciating pain, and he can't feel the ecstasy that comes with the connection and subsequent photosynthesis. He's stuck inside himself, and additionally, all he can think about are the plants that are being groomed for the sole purpose of aesthetic.

Tyler can hear his breath coming in and out increasingly more unsteadily, and he can feel his body start to sway.

"And I said to her- Hey, Tyler? Tyler, can you hear me?" Josh is saying, grabbing a hold of Tyler's shoulder to steady him. He puts a palm on Tyler's forehead. "You're feeling a little warm."

"'m fine," Tyler mumbles, trying to bat Josh's hands away.

"Let's go sit down, okay?" Josh says, trying to lead Tyler over to the closest park bench. Right one of the gardeners is trimming a delphinium plant.

"No," Tyler says weakly, feebly resisting Josh's pulls. "No, no, stop. Stop!"

"Tyler, you look really pale, I think you should sit-"

"No! No, I don't want to!" Tyler yells, squeezing his eyes shut. At the back of his mind he knows he's being ridiculous, that he's making a spectacle of himself, but he can't bring himself to really care. Not when it feels like something is squeezing the air out of his lungs. "Stop!"

"It's just sitting down, Tyler, I don't want you to fall-"

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO!" Tyler shrieks, and nearly every patron stops to stare at them.

They're probably quite a sight. Josh has one arm on Tyler's shoulder and the other on his waist. Tyler's eyes are squeezed shut, his hands tangled in his own hair, and he's starting to cry.

"Tyler, love, calm down, please," Josh whispers, moving his hand from Tyler's waist to his jaw. "Shh. We don't have to sit down."

Tyler can feel the eyes of every pedestrian on them, and he tries to squirm out of Josh's touch, but Josh keeps his firm grip on Tyler's shoulder. "Please stop touching me," Tyler tries to say, but it comes out as, "Pease sop toshin me."

Josh doesn't seem to understand Tyler's mumble-speak, and keeps his hand on Tyler's shoulder.

"Okay, take deep breaths now, Tyler," Josh is saying, and belatedly, Tyler notices that he's started to hyperventilate. The edges of his vision are starting to fade, and he realizes that he's probably going to pass out. What if he loses control over his gift when he passes out? What if he exposes himself? What if Josh hates him?

Tyler begins to hyperventilate harder.

"Breathe, Tyler, breathe," Josh is instructing, and Tyler tries to tell him that there's no air, but he can't quite manage to say anything.

Josh, while he apparently can't understand mumble-speak, can understand Tyler's unspoken words.

"There's air all around us, Tyler," he says gently. "All around us. Now, when I breathe in, I want you to breathe in, too. When I breathe out, I want you to breathe out as well." He takes a deep breath, and Tyler follows him to best of his abilities.

Tyler does his best to ignore everyone looking at them as he concentrates on his breathing. Josh is patient, and he keeps a steady pace of in-and-out breaths. Tyler follows along until he can finally breathe normally again.

"Can we go home now?" is the first thing he says when he gets his voice back.

Josh's smile is sad. "Yeah," he says, kissing Tyler's forehead, "we can go home now."

 

"You've never asked what it is I'm on disability insurance for," Tyler says quietly. 

They're tangled up in each other's arms on their bed, Tyler's head tucked under Josh's chin.

He feels Josh shrug. "I figured you'd tell me when you're ready."

Tyler nods slowly. "It- it's because of mental disorders," he says quietly. "Depression and anxiety disorder. They- they're not that bad right now, really, but I can't work." He shakes his head, burying his face into Josh's chest. "I can't work."

Josh pulls Tyler closer to him. "I love you," he whispers, moving so they can see each other's faces. "I love you, and I'll support you. With anything you need."

Tyler has no idea what he did to deserve such a man, but he's not complaining. "Thank you," he whispers, and kisses him.

 

Tyler clambers up the side of the building, vine secured tight around his waist. He's getting what's probably disturbingly good at climbing up buildings and slipping into windows.

He rolls in through the window silently, noticing a wilting potted plant in the corner of the office, and flicks his finger up. The plant- a dahlia, actually- immediately becomes healthy again.

Feeling a bit like a cat burglar, Tyler begins to rummage through the desk. He opens one of the drawers, and pulls out a paper with the title: PROJECT TELLUS IS APPROVED. With a frustrated sigh, Tyler puts the paper back.

"Who the hell are you?!"

Tyler jumps as the lights switch on. There's some man in a suit standing there, look astonished. Tyler doesn't say anything, instead just makes a leap for the window. The man lunges at him, but Tyler makes it out before he can be grabbed.

"What the fuck?!" the man yelps when he sees Tyler grab a vine from seemingly nowhere and swing away.

Tyler can't tell if what happened was good or bad.


	7. lie down and find yourself

Kore fits the headset over his head before slipping inside.

"Hello."

The man standing in the office lets out a loud shriek when he sees Kore standing in his office, dressed in black. There are vines worming their way around his desk.

"I need you to do something for me," Kore continues, headset doubling his voice as well as dropping it a few octaves. "I need you leave this building, this company, and I need for you _never come back."_ He cocks his head. "Can you do that for me?"

The man stammers. "I..."

Kore sighs dramatically, and the vines begin to wrap themselves around the man's body. The man yelps, trying to worm his way out unsuccessfully.

"I could strange you," Kore says quietly. "I could kill you, just like that. I am going to do that to every person working for this company. Now," he says, tapping his foot. "If you promise to stop working here, I will not kill you. But," the vines squeeze the man a little tighter, and he lets out a yelp, "if you lie to me, I _will_ kill you. And I will do it _slowly."_

The vines recede, and the man lets out a loud gasp.

"So," Kore says, "what do you say?"

"I'll quit," the man says quickly, nodding. "I'll quit. Right now."

"Good," Kore says as he prepares to leap out the window. "I really would hate to kill you."

 

Tyler really doesn't know where Kore gets all his bravado. He really doesn't know how Kore manages to talk to strangers, much less threaten them. Because right now, Tyler wishes he could put on his mask and be Kore, be the persona he's made for himself. He wishes Josh would come back. He wishes he could talk to this man he accidentally spilled coffee on without stuttering.

"The fuck's your problem?" the man is saying.

Tyler tries to stutter out an apology.

"Go get me a napkin," the man demands, pointing to where the condiments are in the coffee shop they're in. Tyler looks over to the other side of the store where Josh is ordering a coffee. He hasn't yet noticed Tyler's dilemma.

Tyler mumbles unintelligibly to the man, who snaps, "Go get me a napkin!"

"No," Tyler gets out.

"And why the fuck not?"

"I don't like paper napkins."

The man stares at him. "That's a fucking shitty excuse."

"It's not an excuse," Tyler says, starting to breathe a little too quickly. He feels his palms growing clammy. "I- I don't like things made of wood." It's true- all their furniture at home is laminate furniture, not wooden.

"Are you some kind of fucking treehugger or some shit?" the man mutters. "Whatever. I don't fucking care. Go get me a napkin before I give you a fist to your face."

A couple of coffee shop goers turn and look at the man in surprise. Tyler feels himself shrinking back.

"N-no, I... I _can't,"_ Tyler whimpers, already raising an arm up to protect himself.

"I swear to god, you little shit-"

"Is there a problem here?" Tyler's head shoots up at the sound of Josh's voice.

"Is this your friend?" the man demands, turning to Josh. Without waiting for an answer, he continues, "Your friend was an idiot and bumped into me while I was holding coffee. I have a meeting in-" he checks his watch, "ten minutes, and now I have coffee all over my shirt. He's _refusing_ to get me a napkin." He glares at Tyler.

"I think the swearing was highly uncalled for," Josh says calmly, taking Tyler's hand. "Come on, Ty."

"He didn't get me a napkin!" the man yells after them.

"Get your own damn napkin!" Josh bellows back.

He shakes his head as they exit the coffee shop. "What an asshole," he says. "I can't believe no one helped you."

"He wasn't that unjustified," Tyler mumbles. "I- I should've been able to get him a napkin."

"Did you tell him why you couldn't get you one?"

"I told him that I don't like things made of wood."

"And you were obviously sorry about what happened," Josh says. "That guy was just an asshole. Don't worry about it."

Tyler has no idea why Josh stays with him and his medley of neuroses. He doesn't see how he could possibly be worth the trouble, especially considering Josh doesn't know why he's this way.

He's not complaining. He just doesn't know why he's worth it.

 

Kore slides into some woman's office easily. He creeps over to where the woman is sitting and taps on her shoulder.

"Jesus Christ!" the woman yelps, jerking around.

"Quit your job," Kore tells her.

"Wha- what?"

"Quit your job," Kore repeats. "You can do that for me, can't you?"

"So this is why Jack quit," the woman mutters to herself.

"Hey," Kore says, and several vines wrap themselves around the woman's chair, holding her down. "Listen to me. Quit your job. Or I will kill you."

The woman looks very uncomfortable and a little scared, but not as frightened as the last man.

"Do you hear me?" Kore says evenly. "I will kill you."

"I hear you," the woman says. "It's just that I'm not sure if you're bluffing or not. You haven't done much other than sabotage that pump- I'm assuming that was you- and get Jack to quit. I just don't think that I should take-"

The vines cover her mouth. "I think that you talk too much," Kore says evenly. "I could kill you, you know. Quite easily. All it would take is for me to order these vines to squeeze your neck a little bit more tightly. Or," he says, getting an idea, "they could dangle you out the window. They could release you, and you would go-" he makes a cartoon falling noise, "-splat. Just like that." He waves his hand, and the vines force her to stand up. "I have excellent control over these vines," he tells her. "I can make them force you to move around. I can take your control just like that." He snaps his fingers, and poison oak vines start to weave their way around her, not quite touching her skin. "That's poison oak, you know. It won't kill you, but it will make you very, very uncomfortable. And in a difficult position to explain." He claps his hands together. "So," he says, moving the vines away from her mouth, "what do you-"

"I'll quit," she interrupts, and Kore smiles.


	8. don't grow here anymore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably full of clichés and awkwardness but here's another chapter.

"Oh, you must be Josh," Tyler's mom says as she opens the door. She pulls Josh inside, hugging him.

"Hello to you too," Tyler says.

They had driven out to where Tyler's family is out in the country. The drive was about three hours, and Josh drove most of it. Tyler mostly sat and worried.

"I don't know what you're so worried about," Josh had said to him as Tyler fidgeted his the car seat. "It's your family. You've known them for your entire life."

"What if they're mean to you?" Tyler fretted. "What if they ask you questions you don't want to answer?"

"I doubt that they'll be mean to me, and I just won't answer them if I don't want to," Josh had replied calmly. Tyler wrung his hands.

Now, though, Tyler can see that all his worrying had been in vain. His family had taken to Josh immediately, and he's been left standing in the corner doing his best to ignore that his mom is baking bread in the oven.

Zack, Maddy, and Jay are all talking animatedly to Josh, and Josh is attempting to listen to all of them at once. Tyler's mom is trying to hand him drinks. Tyler's dad is clapping him on the back, trying to show him his new shoes.

Tyler flops down onto the couch and crosses his legs. He looks at the orchid on the table beside the couch and sighs. His mom always forget to water her plants.

He looks over at Josh, who's currently bent down to look at Tyler's dad's NewBalance shoes, and reaches over and touches the orchid. It automatically looks healthier. He'll have to remind her to water it later.

Dinner is quinoa, peas, and corn on the cob. Tyler knows that everyone will probably eat something with a little more substance after he's gone to bed, but he tries not to think about that.

"So, Josh," Tyler's father says, taking a bite of peas, "what do you do?"

"I work at the Guitar Center," Josh says. "Nothing too impressive."

"Oh, is that how you two met?" Maddy asks. "I was wondering how Tyler had managed to meet someone."

Tyler looks at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're not exactly that sociable of a person," Zack points out.

Tyler opens his mouth to uselessly defend himself, but Josh interrupts with, "Yeah, that's how we met. He managed to convince my manager to get me to drop off ukulele strings by his apartment."

"Very nice," Zack says.

They go on to talk about Zack's new job, and Maddy's new school, and Jay's basketball games. Josh is getting along well with Tyler's family, and Tyler grabs Josh's hand under the table and squeezes it. Josh squeezes back.

Later, as Josh turns off the light before into bed besides Tyler in the guest bedroom, Tyler asks, "What did you think? Of my family?"

"They're really nice," Josh says, wrapping his arms around Tyler's body. "Your parents are very... parent-like. It's nice."

Tyler wriggles a little in Josh's arms so he can tuck his head into the crook of Josh's neck.

"I'm glad," he says.

 

The next morning, after they have breakfast, Tyler takes Josh outside to show them around their backyard.

"This is so cool," Josh says, touching one of the trees. "I always wished that I had a backyard when I was younger. I wanted to have trees to climb."

Tyler grins at him. "Buildings weren't enough?"

Josh smiles back playfully. "Building climbing gets old after awhile," he confirms with a nod. "Trees are the real deal."

Tyler shows him the little garden that he had when he was younger. It's not that little, actually.

"I would spend hours out here," Tyler says a little wistfully. "Sometimes I'd sleep out here, too."

"That's pretty cute," Josh comments.

It was probably sadder than cute, but Tyler doesn't tell him that.

 

Tyler is pretty sure Zack is giving Josh the "Don't you dare hurt him or I'll castrate you" speech when he comes back from a walk around outside. Josh is staring at Zack with wide eyes, looking nearly terrified.

"–had a tough time just in general, and if you mess him up even more I'll–"

Tyler clears his throat.

"Hey, Tyler," Zack says, turning around.

"Can I talk to you?" Tyler asks, grabbing Zack's shirt and tugging him into the next room.

"What, Tyler?" Zack asks as Tyler closes the door.

"I don't need you telling him how messed up I am," Tyler hisses.

"You're not messed up, Ty, I'm just telling him that–"

"Telling him what?" Tyler demands. "Telling him that I used to cry all the time, that I screamed when Dad would mow the lawn, that Mom had to homeschool all of us because of _me?!"_

"Tyler, Tyler, calm down," Zack is murmuring, trying to grab Tyler's shoulders.

Tyler shrugs Zack's hands off. "Don't say _anything_ else to Josh," he growls. "Don't say _anything."_

"I won't, Tyler, calm down," Zack is trying to reassure him. "There are flowers growing everywhere, Ty. Calm down."

Vaguely, Tyler registers that there are begonias and petunias sprouting up around them, coming up through the cracks on the floor.

"He already knows that I'm screwed up, don't tell him _how_ screwed up I am," Tyler orders. "I'm screwed up, I'm messed up, oh, god–" He buries his head in his hands and lets out a sob. "I'm overreacting, I'm always overreacting, I'm sorry, I'm _sorry–"_

Zack wraps his arms around Tyler, and this time Tyler lets him stay. He buries his head into his brother's shoulder.

"I just want to be strong," he whispers.

 

He creeps out of their bedroom. They're back in the city, and he's feeling awake. Feeling alive.

Kore smiles as he fits his mask over his head.

Oh, he's going to have _fun_ tonight.


	9. there once was applause

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there's sex in this so if you're under eighteen don't read this.  
> (Hahahaahahahahhaaha.)

"A picnic," Tyler says, a grin suddenly making its way across his face.

Josh grins back as he pulls out an apple. "A picnic," he echoes with a nod, taking a bite before tossing it to Tyler.

Tyler smiles, taking a bite before tossing it back.

They feed each other food with their fingers and cuddle together on the picnic blanket and watch the sunset with their fingers intertwined. Tyler can't remember a time he's felt this _happy._

He feels happiness like it's a physical thing, like it's something bubbling up inside his chest. It only grows stronger when he looks at Josh, looks at the man with beautiful eyes and cute, curly hair and a smile that makes his eyes crinkle up and Tyler is so, so in love and so, so _happy._

Tyler squeezes Josh's hand, and Josh raises their clasped hands up to kiss Tyler's hand. Tyler nearly cries, but instead tells Josh that he loves him.

They're walking home, hand-in-hand, when Josh suddenly pauses. He listens for a moment before letting out a cry.

"Ack!" Josh yelps, dropping his bag and jumping onto Tyler's back.

"...are you okay?" Tyler asks warily.

"You can't smell it?" Josh whispers into Tyler's ear. "Hear it?"

"Smell and hear what?" Tyler asks.

Just then a dog comes running around the corner, and Josh flinches. "That!" he hisses.

Tyler looks down at the dog. "That pug?" he says.

The pug looks up at them and barks.

Josh flinches again, wrapping his arms tighter around Tyler's shoulders. "Yes, that pug," he mumbles into Tyler's hair.

"Oh," Tyler says, and a few things click in his mind. Like how Josh seems to cross the street seemingly at random. He must've been avoiding dogs.

"Sorry," Josh mutters.

"No, no, it's fine," Tyler assures him. He hitches Josh a little higher on his back. "You owe me a piggyback next time though."

Josh laughs, a bit weakly, but it's still a laugh.

 

"Hey, um," Tyler says as he helps Josh put away everything from their picnic, "I had a really nice time tonight."

Josh looks up at him with a smile. "I'm glad."

Tyler nods, leaning in and pressing his lips to Josh's. Josh sets the Tupperware he's holding down in favor of placing his hands on Tyler's hips and pulling him closer. Tyler rests his hands on his boyfriend's shoulder, deepening their kiss. He nips at Josh's lower lip experimentally, and Josh moans into Tyler's mouth. Tyler shivers.

"Do you want to, um," Tyler says, pulling back, "uh, bed?"

Josh studies him, hands still wrapped around Tyler's waist. "You sure?"

Tyler nods. "Yeah, I'm sure," he says, kissing him.

 

Josh kisses Tyler's stomach, running his hands over Tyler's thighs. Tyler shivers, feeling his hips jerk up involuntarily.

"I love you," Josh whispers in Tyler's skin, pushing himself up so they can kiss.

"I love you too," Tyler murmurs, placing his hands on Josh's jaw and kissing him gently. They kiss for a bit longer before Josh pulls back, crawling down to kneel between Tyler's legs. Tyler takes a deep breath before pulling his knees up to his chest, exposing himself for Josh.

Josh presses a reassuring kiss to Tyler's leg as he uncaps a bottle of lube. Tyler listens as he squirts some onto palm before capping it and spreading it around his fingers. He jumps in surprise when he feels cold fingers brush over him.

"Just cold," Tyler reassures him when Josh looks up with worried eyes. Josh nods, gently pressing a finger into Tyler.

Tyler shivers as Josh slowly opens him up, partially from the cold, but mostly from the way Josh is pressing kisses along his inner thigh. Josh is murmuring something that Tyler can't quite pick up, but it's soft and gentle and Tyler could fall asleep just listening to him.

Then Josh crooks his finger up and oh, Tyler's not going to sleep anytime soon.

He whines, hips jerking up. Josh brushes his fingers over that spot inside him again, and Tyler whimpers, pushing his hips back against Josh's fingers. He can see a grin flash across Josh's lips.

"Come on," he murmurs, reaching down and tugging Josh up. "Come on, you can..." He trails off, watching as Josh pulls out a condom and slides it on. He squirts a little more lube onto his palm and rubs it over himself before crawling back between Tyler's legs. He runs his palms up and down Tyler's thighs for a moment before carefully pushing his way in.

Tyler grabs Josh's head and pulls him in for a kiss as Josh bottoms out. It hurts a little, but it feels kind of good. It feels real.

They kiss, faster and sloppier than ever before. Their teeth clack as they lick into each other's mouths. Tyler grazes his teeth over Josh's lower lip, and Josh _mewls_ into Tyler's mouth. He runs his hands down Josh's back, trying to get him to move faster. He tightens his legs around Josh's waist and throws his head back with a groan when Josh changes the angle of his hips, hitting that spot inside him. Tyler feels Josh's lips on his neck, and he whimpers as Josh mouths as his neck, nibbling gently.

Josh is hitting that spot inside Tyler with every thrust, and Tyler feels him worm a hand between them to begin jerking him off in time to their movements. Tyler groans, clenching his muscles around Josh, and Josh hisses. Josh hits Tyler's prostate and swipes his thumb over the head at the same time, and Tyler lets out a loud wail, throwing his head back and coming into Josh's hand.

Josh is watching him with dark eyes and a slightly agape mouth. Tyler's panting as he urges Josh to continue.

Josh begins moving significantly less grace after that, biting at Tyler's neck and hissing into his skin. Tyler's on the verge of telling him to pull out because he's becoming too sensitive, but that's when Josh still and shakes above him, eyes closing and mouth dropping open in a silent scream.

Josh sighs when he's done, collapsing on top of Tyler. Tyler chuckles softly, patting Josh's back.

"Come on, get out of me," he whispers.

"Mm," Josh says in protest, but pulls out of Tyler before snuggling up next him.

"I love you," Tyler murmurs.

He's pretty sure Josh replies, but he's already drifted off to sleep.

 

Tyler wakes up to Josh's humming noise he makes sometimes. He stretches, yawning as he opens his eyes.

"Hey," Josh says softly.

Tyler smiles at him, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Hi," he says, focusing his bleary eyes on Josh.

Josh is resting on one elbow next to Tyler. He's smiling a little, but his eyes look sad.

"Is something wrong?" Tyler asks.

Josh sighs, tracing his thumb over Tyler's bare thigh. "Tyler, how are you?"

Tyler blinks. "Huh?"

"How are you doing?" Josh says, running his fingers along Tyler's skin.

"Why are you– oh." Tyler pauses when he realizes just what Josh is touching on his skin. "Oh. That was... that was a long time ago, J."

Josh nods slowly. "Just– please tell me if it ever gets that bad again, Tyler. Please."

Tyler nods, pulling Josh up to him so they can kiss. "I will." He pulls Josh's hands away from the scars on Tyler's thighs and places it on his waist. "I promise."

 

Adrenaline pumps through Kore's veins as he circles his way around the building, grinning as he watches the people in the building shriek in surprise and terror. He chooses a window on the highest floor and crawls in to see a group of men sitting around a table, clearly at a meeting. All of them are frozen, staring at Kore. He grins at them, dramatically enough so they can see it through his mask.

"Hello," he drawls, voice changer only adding to the creepiness of the situation. "Would any of you gentlemen like a coffee? Tea?" He thrusts out his arms, and vines suddenly burst through the cracks in the floor and wrap themselves around everyone's bodies. "A couple climbers 'round your middles?"

He studies the group before locking in on the man who's still pointing to the graph on the screen. "All right, Bill, you're with me," Kore says, jerking his hands back. Bill comes flying towards Kore, and he slams to the ground when the vine releases him.

"Please," Bill is begging as the vines drag him to the window. "Please, please, please–"

"You're welcome!" Kore bellows as the vines tug Bill out of the window.

Bill is screaming as Kore leaps out after him. They're both dangling by their legs above the street. The pedestrians below them are starting to notice that something is going on, and some of them are taking out their phones and recording them.

He'll have to make it more of a show, then.

"So, Mr. Bill," Kore begins, letting the vine release his leg and grab onto his arm, "how are you?"

Bill just screams in response.

Kore sighs, twirling around the man dangling from the roof. "You aren't providing very good entertainment, Mr. Bill," he says disapprovingly.

Bill continues to scream.

"Look," Kore says over Bill's screaming, "I just want you to leave this place. And never come back. That's all."

Bill pauses to take a deep breath. "But– but I'm the operations manager."

"And I'm botanokinetic," Kore says. "And I want to you leave."

"I– I can't. I've worked too hard for this."

Kore sighs, shaking his head. "I really hate to do this, Bill," he says, "but you've left me no choice."

Bill looks at him with wide eyes. "What– what are you going to–"

The veins release Bill, and he falls.

Kore watches as Bill screams as he plummets to the sidewalk. Bill passes the ninth story, eighth story, seventh story...

"Or," he says as he sends the veins down to wrap their way around Bill's middle, "I could give you a second chance."

Bill's eyes are clenched shut, and he's still screaming as Kore makes his way down to him.

"Shush," Kore says as a vine wraps itself around Bill's mouth. Bill's shrieking continues, but muffled this time. "Bill, I am so glad I can talk to you," he says. "I am very, very powerful, you see. But my power only goes so far. And I am very grateful that you and the company you work for are doing the best you all can to extinguish plant life from this world."

Bill stares at him.

"I'm being sarcastic, William," Kore says, rolling his eyes. "This applies to this situation because if Malxi continues to kill plant life, I will become very, very sad. And when I am sad, everything around me dies. I can suck the life straight out of every photosynthetic organism there is."

Kore had removed the vine from Bill's mouth a couple sentence back, and now Bill spits out, "It's because of people like _you_ the human race has so many problems."

Kore sighs. "Oh, do calm down, bigoted Bill." He frowns. "You do realize that it's probably a bad idea sadden a person who's in control of your life."

"You don't look sad."

"I'm always sad, Bill," Kore says. "See, when you're always sad, it becomes very easy to hide just how sad you've become."

"My name isn't Bill," Bill says.

Kore grins at him.

"And my name isn't Kore," he tells him, "but that's what everyone is going to call me."

 

"This Kore guy is becoming a real problem," Josh says.

Tyler looks up from the pomegranate he's eating to see the news channel playing clips people had taken of Kore and different people from Malxi. "Why?"

"He could drop one of those people," Josh says.

Tyler snorts. "He's not going to drop anyone."

Josh looks up at him. "Why do you say that?"

Tyler thinks for a moment. "He doesn't want that," he says finally. "He talked to that one guy for five hours. If he really didn't care, he would've just dropped him."

"Even if he doesn't want to kill anyone," Josh says, "he could still get distracted. Accidentally drop someone."

"He seems very powerful," Tyler says. "I don't think he's going to drop anyone anytime soon."

Josh sighs. "Even so," he says, "I don't want you going near that building until this all blows over. He could start attacking pedestrians, too."

Tyler thinks about getting angry, telling Josh that he isn't Tyler's keeper, but Tyler doesn't think he'll have anything to gain by doing that. Additionally, Tyler's pretty sure that he doesn't have the nerve to yell at Josh anyways.

"Okay," Tyler says.

 

Kore is screaming wordlessly at the people who are huddled in a cluster on the rooftop. It's daytime, but it's raining and the clouds have darkened the sky. He feels the wind whip at his body, and he wraps a vine around his arm to steady himself.

"You fucking suits haven't got a single fucking care in the world!" he shrieks at them. "The only things you care about are your own lives! And okay, all right, I'll respect that." He thrusts both of his arms out, and vines wrap their way around four different people's legs. They all jump. "I'll make you care even _more!"_

The vines tug the people off on the roof and down to dangle off the side. Kore watches them, grinning as they scream. Oh, he feels _powerful._ He doesn't ever want to go back to being Tyler. Tyler is weak, controlled by his anxieties and fears. Kore is strong, strong and unafraid to do whatever it takes to get what he wants.

Kore bellows, _"Do you fucking care now?!"_

The people dangling from the rooftop are screaming and the people quivering on the roof are screaming and Kore is screaming and he's feeling fucking _alive._

Suddenly, a loud crack breaks into the air. Kore looks around to see that someone on the rooftop has a _gun._

"Get down!" a man is screaming, aiming a gun at Kore.

"Drop your gun," Kore says calmly, but his heart is in his throat.

"Get down!" the man repeats.

"Drop the gun. I won't repeat this–"

The man fires the gun.

Kore ducks, mind going blank. He feels a sudden, sharp pain in his arm, and he gasps. He manages to dodge the other bullets until the bullets run out.

"The people," someone gasps. "The people, where are they?"

Kore spins around to see that the vines are no longer attached to the bundling. He peers over the edge. There are four people splattered on the sidewalk, pedestrians circled around them. All he can see is blood.

Tyler feels cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to get sad I'm sorry.


	10. your life is not a joke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING for near self harm.

Tyler can't sleep.

All he can see when he closes his eyes are the broken, bloodied bodies of the people Kore dropped. No, the people that Tyler dropped. Tyler dropped them.

Oh, gosh, what did he _do?_

He's bandaged the graze that the bullet gave him. It was small enough that he didn't need stitches (not that he would've gotten them if he did), but he knows it'll scar. He's going to carry this with him for the rest of his life.

Tyler knows that all the plants around him are dying; he's cut all of the ties he has with every plant he's ever attached himself to. It's hurting him (oh, how it's _hurting_ him, everything tires him mentally and emotionally, even _breathing_ is too much for him), but he can't go back to acknowledging that part of him.

He has to be normal.

He has to be _strong._

Strong for Josh.

And Josh...

Josh is so, so worried, Tyler can tell. Because Tyler had maybe told him about how bad everything used to be once upon a time, how depressed he was, showed Josh more of the faded scars on his thighs, and he knows Josh thinks he's relapsing.

"Don't you have to work?" Tyler says as Josh sits down next to him on the couch and wraps an arm around his shoulder.

Josh shrugs. "I'm taking a day off," he says easily, but Tyler notices the way Josh's fingers tighten on his shoulder.

"It'd better not be because of me," Tyler says.

"Not everything's about you," Josh says jokingly, but Tyler can see that there's genuine worry in his eyes.

"Of course, of course," Tyler says. He rests his head on Josh's shoulder. "Of course." Josh kisses the top of his head before turning on the TV.

Josh does manage to take the rest of the week off, but come Monday, he has to go back to work.

"I'm so sorry," Josh says, taking both of Tyler's hands in his. "I just can't take another day off."

"It's fine, Josh," Tyler assures him, but Josh looks so, so concerned and... afraid?

"Promise me, Tyler," Josh says urgently, "promise me you won't do anything... dumb."

"I won't," Tyler promises.

"Please, Tyler," Josh says softly. "Please don't hurt yourself."

"I won't," Tyler repeats.

"Text me if you need anything," Josh says. "Text me even if you don't. Text me if you see something funny on TV or hear a good song on the radio or have a really awesome lunch or-"

"I'll text you," Tyler promises. "Go to work, Josh. I'll be fine."

Josh kisses his cheek. "I love you," he murmurs.

"I love you too," Tyler says.

 

Josh calls him barely an hour after he left for work.

"I'm fine, Josh," Tyler assures him. "I've just been watching TV." That's a lie; Tyler had been trying to figure out how he'd be able to get a yogurt out of the fridge when he doesn't even have the strength to get out of bed.

"Okay," Josh says, still sounding worried. "Text me–"

"Yes, I know," Tyler assures him. "I will. Now get back to work; the good people of the Guitar Center need you."

Josh laughs. "Text me whenever you want to," he reminds him. "Love you."

"Love you too," Tyler says as he hangs up. He puts his phone back on his nightstand and rolls over, pretending to be asleep.

 

"Missed you," Josh says as soon as he gets home, giving Tyler a kiss.

"It's barely been eight hours," Tyler says, but he's smiling.

"What, I can't miss you?" Josh says, sticking his lower lip out as a mock-pout.

Tyler laughs, leaning in and kissing his lip. Josh echoes his laugh, kissing back. He cradles Tyler's head carefully, running his thumb over Tyler's jaw.

"Love you," Josh murmurs, and Tyler has to make sure that the roses he's feeling are forced down and locked away.

 

He can't believe he's doing this.

This doesn't feel real.

He watches as his hands fumble with a razor, fiddling with the plastic until he's left with three blades. He nicks his fingers, but he doesn't mind. He doesn't feel them.

Tyler pulls his pants down to his knees. He and Josh haven't had sex since the night before he killed those people, and he doesn't think that Josh will notice the cuts anytime soon. (He wonders if Josh is upset that they don't have sex anymore. Tyler would, but he's lost all of his sex drive.)

Tyler takes a deep breath, staring at the razor blade in his fingers. He notices, in his peripheral vision, that a couple of begonias have sprouted in the pot by the sink, pushing the white, wilting lilies to the side.

 _Oh, gosh, he_ hates _himself._

"What are you _doing?"_ he hears someone demand.

Tyler jumps, dropping the razor. "Nothing, nothing."

"Tyler," Josh says softly, sinking to his knees and grabbing the razor.

"I'm sorry," Tyler whispers, burying his head in his hands.

"Talk to me," Josh says, wrapping his arm around Tyler's shoulder. "Please. Tell me what's going on."

"I..." Tyler swallows hard. "I– I can't, I'm sorry, I'm sorry–"

"It's okay, Ty," Josh says, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of Tyler's head. "Just breathe."

Tyler takes in a shaky breath. "I'm sorry," he whispers when he can breathe more normally.

"It's not your fault," Josh says firmly. "Nothing's your fault."

Tyler wants to both laugh and cry at how utterly _wrong_  Josh is. Instead, he makes a sobbing noise, burying his head in Josh's shoulder.

"It's okay," Josh is saying as he pats Tyler's back. "It's okay."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just–" Another sob cuts Tyler off.

"Shh, you don't have to apologize for anything," Josh says soothingly. "It's okay."

"I'm sorry," Tyler gasps out. "I'm sorry, but I can't- we can't- I don't- I'm sorry, I'm sorry–"

"Shh," Josh says gently, pulling Tyler onto his lap because he doesn't know that Tyler hurt someone, that Tyler's a monster.

"I'm sorry," Tyler whimpers into Josh's shoulder.

"It's okay," Josh says softly, rubbing gentle circles into his back. "It's okay."

"It's not," Tyler says, fisting Josh's shirt in his hands. "It's not, it's not, I'm sorry–"

"Calm down, it's okay," Josh says soothingly, running his fingers through Tyler's hair. "It's okay."

Tyler takes a shuddery breath before leaning in and pressing his lips to Josh's. Josh makes a muffled noise of surprise, falling back, and Tyler straddles his hips.

"Tyler, Tyler, wait–"

Tyler muffles Josh's words with a kiss, tears streaming down his cheeks. He can barely breathe. He rocks his hips back against Josh's, and he can feel Josh's body respond.

"Tyler–"

"Josh," Tyler whispers, sliding a hand up Josh's shirt.

"Ty– Tyler, _no."_

Tyler pauses. "What?"

"No, Tyler," Josh says softly, pulling Tyler's hand out from under his shirt and sitting up. "No. Not right now."

"But..." Tyler can feel his chest starting to heave, and he knows he must look even more pathetic now. "But– but don't you want...?"

"Not right now, Tyler," Josh says softly, shaking his head.

Tyler buries his head in his hands and lets out a sob. He's so, so _awful,_ he killed those people and then nearly raped his boyfriend, oh, he's fucking _horrible._ He's a _monster._

Josh is wrapping his arms around Tyler and whispering reassuring words, but all Tyler can focus on is the way his hands are shaking. He wants to hurt himself, he wants to feel _real_ because he can't feel energy from photosynthesis, he can't feel that connection, he can't feel anything.

Tyler can't feel _anything._

 

Tyler wakes up to find himself in the middle of the park. He blinks into the night sky, bewildered as he sits up. He's sitting in the cold grass, surrounded in flowers. He studies them to realize that they're some kind of hellebore.

He sighs, cutting his ties with the flowers. He knows they'll die soon, but he _can't_ care.

He takes a deep breath before beginning the long walk back to his apartment.

 

Tyler can hear Josh talking, but he can only make out the murmur of Josh's worried tone, not individual words. The door is unlocked, and Tyler hesitantly opens the door and steps inside.

"Tyler!" Josh gasps, running over to pull Tyler into a tight hug. "Tyler, oh my gosh, where _were_  you?"

"I was, um," Tyler wracks his brain for an explanation, "taking a walk."

"In November?" Josh says, pulling back to look Tyler over. "Without a jacket? At three in the morning?"

"I couldn't sleep," Tyler mumbles.

"You're not wearing shoes, either!" Josh says, gesturing to Tyler's feet. "And you're covered in grass. Tyler, what happened?"

"I..." Tyler bites his lip. "I think I sleepwalked. I'm sorry."

"No, don't be sorry," Josh says quickly. "Don't be sorry. It's okay. It's not your fault."

Tyler buries his head in the crook of Josh's neck. "I'm sorry," he whispers, and Josh tightens his arms around him.

"Tyler," Josh murmurs. "Gosh, Tyler, what's happening? What's going on?"

"I'm sorry," Tyler mumbles. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm–"

"No, no, Tyler, listen to me–"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Tyler babbles. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry–"

"Tyler!" Josh shouts, and Tyler quiets. "Tyler," he says again, voice significantly softer. He cups Tyler's jaw in his hands. "What are you apologizing for?"

Tyler shakes his head, closing his eyes.

"Are you in some kind of trouble?" Josh asks worriedly. "Tyler, please. Talk to me."

Tyler shakes his head again. "Can we just go to bed?"

Josh sighs. "Okay."

 

It looks like it physically pains Josh to leave for work the next morning.

"I'll be okay, Josh, really," Tyler mumbles. Josh scoffs a little. Tyler's pretty sure he wasn't meant to hear Josh's scoff, so he doesn't comment.

"Call me every hour," Josh instructs him. "Please, Tyler."

"Okay," Tyler says, managing to sit up on his bed.

Josh looks a little scared as he walks over to kiss Tyler's forehead. "Remember to et something, okay?"

"Okay," Tyler repeats.

"Really, Tyler," Josh says, kneeling next to the bed. "Take care of yourself."

Tyler nods, leaning in to kiss Josh. "I will."

 

It's a little bit after noon when the doorbell rings.

"Mom?" Tyler says in surprise when he opens the door. "What are you doing here?"

"Josh called me last night," she says, stepping inside. There's a pause. "Oh, wow."

"Yeah," Tyler says awkwardly as he watches her study his apartment.

"Tyler, everything– everything is dying," she says softly.

Tyler runs a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I know."

His mom steps closer and wraps him into a tight hug.

"Tyler," she says softly, "I've seen the news. Are you Kore?"

Tyler stiffens. "I..."

"Tell me the truth," she says, pulling back and gripping his shoulders.

Tyler sighs. "Not anymore," he mumbles.

His mother sighs, closing her eyes.

"I didn't mean to kill those people, Mom," Tyler says quickly. "I really, really didn't, and I'm _so sorry,_ god–"

"I know," she says softly. "I know you didn't."

 

His mom made him lie down on the couch after an anxiety attack when she asked more about what he's done as Kore. He guesses he must've fallen asleep since the next thing he knows is Josh running his fingers through Tyler's hair.

"Hey, love," Josh murmurs, kissing Tyler's forehead.

"Hi," Tyler says sleepily, yawning.

"How are you feeling?" Josh asks.

Tyler considers this. "All right," he decides.

Josh smiles at that. "Good," he says before climbing onto the couch and lying down on top of Tyler.

"Hey," Tyler says, pretending to be miffed and failing miserably. He can't see Josh's face, but he can feel him smiling.

"Go back to sleep," Josh says, breath tickling Tyler's neck.

As Tyler closes his eyes, he notes a pot of snowdrop flowers on the table next to the couch. He's asleep before he can wonder if his mom brought it or not.


	11. and cry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while, hasn't it?
> 
> This chapter makes perfect sense to me, but let me know if it was confusing to you. Sometimes I worry that I don't explain things in my writing properly. 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: for mentions of self induced vomiting and starvation.

_Tyler swallows hard._

_"I- I don't have any money, mister, believe me," he whispers._

_The man laughs coldly, the dry sound resonating through Tyler's mind._

_"I don't fucking want your money," he growls. He shoves Tyler up against the alley wall, gleaming silver knife tucking itself against Tyler's throat. "I want–"_

_"Hey!" The shout came from above, somehow, and Tyler can only stand there in shock as someone drops down from the edge of the roof above them and lands directly behind to Tyler's attacker. The new stranger seems unharmed despite the long drop._

_"What the fuck?!" Tyler's attacker shouts, whirling around. His knife is up and aimed for the stranger's throat, but the stranger grabs the man's arm and flips him onto the concrete in the blink of an eye. "_

_...what?" Tyler says. The stranger gives him a wink– Tyler can see that much through the dark mask they're wearing– before turning around, jumping, and climbing up the side of the opposite building. Right up it._

_Tyler stares until the stranger (are they gifted, too?) disappears from his sight before looking down at his attacker. The man is groaning, starting to sit up, and Tyler runs away before the man can regain his senses._

 

_"Tyler? What happened to your throat?"_

_Jenna, one of his coworkers, is looking worriedly at Tyler's neck._

_Tyler's hand flies up to his throat. "Nothing," he mumbles. The knife had grazed his skin last night. Nothing serious, but enough to leave a scratch._

_Jenna gives him a doubtful look, but she doesn't say any more before leaving the cafeteria to check on the duckweed they're growing in the lab._

_Tyler sighs, taking a bite of his sandwich. He feels... wrong._

 

You shouldn't have had to be saved.

_Tyler groans, pulling his pillow up over his head and trying to cover his ears with it._

You should've been able to protect yourself. That man was smaller than you.

_He squeezes his eyes shut and recites the names of as many single-celled organisms he knows in his mind._

You're so weak. Do you think being able to eat spaghetti means you're strong? Because it doesn't. You're just weak.

_He kicks off his covers, getting out of bed._

You're so weak. Go back to your plants, Tyler Joseph. They're the only things that will ever understand you.

_He opens the bathroom door, stares at the toilet for one long moment, and imagines himself forcing his fingers down his throat._

You're so weak.

_He buries his head in his hands and cries._

 

_"Tyler, you're starting to look a little too thin," Jenna comments._

_"Diet must be working, then," Tyler halfheartedly jokes, attempting a smile._

_Either Tyler's feeble joke wasn't clear, or Jenna isn't good at understanding sarcasm, since with a frown she says, "You shouldn't be dieting, Tyler. You're skinny enough as it is. If you lose any more weight, you'll be dangerously close to being undernourished."_

_"I was joking," Tyler mumbles. "Anyways, I'm just stressed. That's all."_

_Jenna eyes him warily. "Let me know if you need anything, all right?" she says. "You have my number. Call me if you need me."_

_Tyler nods somewhat absentmindedly as he slices open an aconite bulb. A sharp pain runs through him, and he winces._

_"You okay?" Jenna asks._

_"Yeah," Tyler says, starting to feel scared. "Yeah, I'm fine."_

 

_Tyler's control over his powers deteriorates so quickly that it's as though he blinked and woke up in a room full of purple hyacinths._

_He calls in sick for work that day, and spends his time off pulling them out of the walls and crying._

 

_"Dear god," Jenna gasps as Tyler trudges in. "Tyler, you look..."_

_"Stunning? Gorgeous? Remarkably pleasing to the eye?" he offers dryly as he puts on his lab coat._

_"You look like you haven't eaten in days or slept in weeks," she tells him. "You look awful."_

_"Ouch," he says, mock-hurt._

_"Tyler, you should go home," Jenna says softly. "Take a nap. Eat something."_

_Tyler shakes his head. "I'm fine," he says briskly. "Come on. Let's get to work."_

_"Tyler..."_

_"Let's get to work," he repeats firmly, and Jenna doesn't say anything._

 

_By the end of the week, Tyler can't even look into his refrigerator._

_He cries in the university's bathroom after having to cut off all the flowers on a couple of Wisconsin Fast Plants._

_He doesn't go home. He drives without stopping until he's left the city and driven into a forest._

_He gets out, and he walks._

 

_Tyler is hungry._

_Tyler is hungry, wet, and naked. (He's naked because everything he was wearing was once alive, maybe not directly but even plastic is made from oil and oil comes from decayed creatures and he's a monster, he's been wearing what was once alive.) He's completely in tune with the forest, and he can feel every cell converting sunlight into sugar. It feels heavenly, and he can almost convince himself that he's not hungry._

_Almost._

_But right now it's raining, and Tyler cannot feel photosynthesis, and he's hungry._

 

_It's been nearly two weeks since Tyler left his life and walked into the forest._

_He's not hungry anymore._

 

_He thinks it might be four weeks since he's last eaten, last spoken, last had an actual thought._

_Sleep just sounds nice right now._

 

_Tyler can hear beeping._

_Confused, Tyler groans, squirming while blinking open his eyes. His mother's face swims into view above him._

_"Mom?" he says, or tries to say. His voice is hoarse, and his throat is dry._

_"Tyler," she says with a sigh, sounding relieved. She helps him take a sip of water._

_"Where- where am I?" Tyler asks once he can talk again._

_"You're in the hospital," she tells him quietly. "They found you in the woods." She takes his hand and presses it to her lips. "Tyler," she whispers, "why didn't you tell me that things got this bad?"_

_Tyler shakes his head, starting to sit up when he feels a sudden jolt of pain in his arm._

_"Mom, what- what's that?" he asks, looking down at his arm in confusion._

_"It's an IV, Tyler," his mother tells him softly. "You lost a lot of nutrients when you stopped eating."_

_"No, no," Tyler gasps, staring at his arm. "No, this is wrong."_

_"Tyler, sweetheart, you are_ human," _she says softly. "You can't live off of photosynthesis alone, oh god." She muffles a small sob that Tyler nearly misses. "You need actual food, Tyler," she tells him. "I know you don't want to eat, and I know eating makes you feel sick, but you_ need nutrition."

 _"No, no," Tyler says, shaking his head. He's starting to feel panicky. "No. This is all_ wrong, _Mom, don't you understand? I- I feel like I'm cannibalizing myself. Oh gosh, oh, god."_

_"I'm so sorry," his mother says gently, running her fingers through his hair. "I'm so, so sorry, Tyler."_

_"I... I need to get it out," Tyler says suddenly, looking at the needle that's stuck in his arm. "I need to get it out of me."_

_"No, Tyler, you have to keep it in," his mother is saying, trying to keep Tyler's hands away from the tube in arm. "You're very malnourished, sweetie, you need to–"_

_"I don't_ care, _Mom, I don't_ care!" _Tyler wails, yanking the IV out of his arm. "I don't_ care!"

_"Tyler, baby, calm down, calm down and listen to me," his mom murmurs, trying to stop him from thrashing about._

_"I can't, Momma, I can't oh god I'm gonna throw up," Tyler whimpers, gagging._

_"No, no, sweetie, calm down," his mother says, gently stroking his hair. "Calm down. Deep breaths, that's good."_

_Tyler's breathing is nearly back to normal when he breaks off into sobs._

_"I hate this," he gets out. "I_ hate  _this. I'm not gifted, Mom. This is not a gift."_

 

_"I was mugged."_

_His mom blinks. "Sorry?"_

_Tyler sighs. "Well, I wasn't mugged, exactly. Some guy held a knife to me when I was walking around one night, and someone else had to help me." He buries his head in his hands. "That's what started this all. I felt weak. I_ am _weak."_

_"Tyler," his mom says softly, taking both of his hands. "Tyler, why didn't you tell anyone?"_

_"I don't know," he mumbles. "I don't know. God, I'm so weak. I should... God, I should just die."_

_His mother squeezes his hands tightly, urgently. "Tyler, you may as well have a disability," she says quietly. "I've heard other stories about gifted people who are controlled by their 'gifts.' If should be labeled as a disability, not a gift. And Tyler," she says, "would you say that someone who has lost their leg is weak, that they deserve to die, simply because they lost their leg?"_

_"No," he whispers._

_"I didn't think so," Tyler's mom says. "You aren't weak. And you don't deserve to die." She lets go of his hands in favor of wrapping her arms around him. "Please don't die, Tyler." She whispers. "That will kill me."_

_He hugs her back, but he doesn't say anything._

 

_"I've decided," Tyler says one morning as his mom walks into his hospital room, "that I can eat these things."_

_He holds out a list he scribbled on a notepad that one of the nurses gave him._

_His mom scans the list. "It's not very long," she comments._

_"It's enough," Tyler says. "Look, Mom, they're all things that aren't killing the where it came from."_

_"I see," she says, giving the list back to him with a small smile. "I'm glad you have a plan, Tyler."_

_"Yeah," he says, looking down at his handwriting. "Me too."_

 

_He's released from the hospital a lot later than he thought he would be._

_It's harder to adjust to his new outlook on life than he thought it would be._

_Everyone is less supportive than he thought they would be._

 

_He tries to go back to work. It doesn't turn out well._

_His boss quietly mentions disability insurance to Tyler as he politely fires him._

_Jenna texts him every now and then, but Tyler doesn't reply. Eventually, she just stops._

_Tyler tries his best to pull himself together, and he kind of succeeds._

 

 

 

"Tyler? Tyler?"

Tyler blinks back to the present to find Josh waving his hand in front of his face.

"There you are," Josh says, sounding lighthearted, but his face is telling otherwise. "You've been staring out the door for nearly half an hour."

Tyler closes the door to their apartment, feeling his face flush. "I was just thinking," he mumbles.

"No, it's okay," Josh assures him. "I was just checking to make sure that you're all right."

"I'm all right," Tyler says. "I was just... thinking."

Josh smiles at him, and there's something familiar about his eyes. Tyler has always felt like he met Josh already knowing him.

"Come here, my thinker," Josh says, wrapping his arms around Tyler. He presses a kiss to Tyler's cheek before tucking Tyler's head under his chin. "I'm glad your mom came. You needed her."

"Yeah," Tyler says into Josh's shoulder. "I did."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully some action in the next chapter. Tell me what you think, please!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Forget Me Not](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3099920) by [orphan_account](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account)




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